This invention relates to an apparatus for supporting a timing hopper in an automatic weighing system of the combinatorial weighing type.
A combinatorial weighing-type automatic weighing system known in the art operates by introducing articles into a plurality of weighing machines arranged in a circle, computing combinations of weight values obtained from the weighing machines, selecting the combination giving a total combined weight value equal or closest to a predetermined target value, which combination is referred to as the "optimum" combination, discharging the weighed articles solely from the weighing machines corresponding to the selected combination, and collecting the articles discharged. In the weighing system of the aforesaid type, a collecting chute collects the articles discharged from the weighing machines, and a timing hopper is provided below the discharge port of the collecting chute to retain the articles temporarily before supplying them at a predetermined timing to a packaging apparatus or the like used in combination with the weighing system.
Though the timing hopper is detachably mounted on the main body of the weighing system so as to facilitate, e.g., cleaning, sufficient space is not available for easily detaching the timing hopper owing to the presence of a nearby drive unit for actuating a gate provided on the hopper. Furthermore, in some arrangements the collecting chute is provided with two collection paths or routes, each of which is equipped with a separate timing hopper and a separate drive unit for actuating the gate of the hopper. Such an arrangement limits the available space even more, so that detaching the timing hoppers becomes a troublesome operation.